Biologist gives bear the bum's rush

A bear in Genoa got the beat-and-release treatment on Thursday morning after being trapped on Carson Street in Genoa near the Orchard House.

Nevada Wildlife Biologist Carl Lackey said the bear was a 200-pound young male, who had been foraging for fruit in the Genoa area.

The same bear was captured three months ago and tagged in the area.

"He was not causing any problems," Lackey said. "He wasn't eating anything but fruit. He'd found a great food source and was going around making the most of it."

Orchard House owner Randy Falcke called Lackey after spotting the bear's tag.

Lackey praised Falcke, a Genoa native, for being bear-tolerant and for picking the fruit from the trees.

"The bear had been coming around at night," Lackey said. "The only reason he (Falcke) called was because he felt the bear was hanging around and could use some aversive conditioning."

Rather than relocate bears, Lackey works to make the bear afraid of humans.

"Chances are he is going to stay in Genoa," Lackey said. "All we want to do is reinstill that negative feeling around humans."

Aversion training includes shooting the bear with rubber bullets and Lackey sets his two bear dogs loose to chase it.

This is Lackey's second trip to Genoa in two weeks. Last week he set a trap for a bear at the Kinsey House after resident Betty Bourne reported a bear eating her fruit.

Lackey picked up the trap on Monday after the bear failed to show up. He returned on Wednesday to set the trap on Carson Street.

A doughnut was the bear's undoing, but Lackey said he left most of it for the next bear.

So far, Lackey said, Genoa bears haven't shown too much interest in trash when there is fruit available.

Douglas County requires its Lake Tahoe residents to keep their garbage in bear proof containers.